The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-14
J. WILKES BOOTH.
A TALK WITH THE MAN THAT
CAPTURED HIM.
The Chase Into Virginia What
Took Place at the Barn
Where Booth Was Shot
His Last Moments.

ceived Government appointment as In
dian post trader in Dakota. He is tall,
straight, broad.shouldered man of forty
six years. He has dark complexion
inclined to be forid, broad, open face,
a high forehead, and hair as black as
piece of camel coal. He talks we'll, and
chats very entertainingly about his ex-
periences at the time of the assassination.
He told me the story of Booths capture
not long ago.
Said he: "Twenty-one years ago
1t does not seem as many days. The
scenes of that time are photographed on
my memory. was sitting in Lafayette
Park talking with brother officer. 1t
was my day off, and was rejoicing my
soul in the bright rays of the spring sun.
The trees had begun to leave. The first
flowers were out in the park, and the grass
was of its greenest. My friend and my
self were talking to a couple of ladies,
when an Orderly came up and gave me
a message. 1t was to report to Colonel
Baker Immediately. When I reached
Colonel Bakers headqEters was di-
rected to take twenty-five men and pro-
ceed on the track of Booth to Fredericks-
burg A very short time after this l had
my detail at the Sixth street wharf at
Washington. There I found a steam
boat, and, landing our horses, we struck
across to the Rappahannock at Port
Conway. At the house by the Port we
questioned the people, and got them to
admit that the men we were in search
of had passed onward. They had been
met there by three of Moseby's men,
cambridge, Ruggles and Jett, and had
gone on with them to CARROTS and Bow
ling Green. The keeper of the house
told us that he was accustomed to gnide
people to Bowling Green, but that Jett
was in love with the daughter of a
tavcrn-keeper there, and that he
had offered to guide them, as he
was going that way. Herold was friend
of Jett, and he told the men that Booth
had killed the President and wanted to
get on South. In a short time Booth
came up on his crutch. It seems he
had not been with Herold at this time,
and he acknowledged to these men of
Moseby that he was the Presidents as
sassin. The party then went on to Bow
"Between Port Conway and Bowling
Green lies the Garrett farm. Its build
ings were not far from the road, consist
! ing of an old frame house with barn
and out-buildings. When the party
reached this house Booth stopped here,
and was allowed to remain over night,
while Herold continued on to Bowling
Green with the rest of the party. We
left Port Conway and rode on toward
Bowling Green. As we did SO we passed
the Garrett house, and learned after that
Booth saw us as we passed. He was look
ing out of the window as we came up,
and he snatched his carbine and yelled to
Garrett to bring him his pistols. We
passed on, however, without knowing
this, and reached Bowling Green. l
found here that Herold had left, but that
Jett was sleeping in the tavern. went
up to Jett's room and told him that l
knew all about his doings during the
past few days; that I was going to
catechise him, and if I found him lying
we would take him out and hang him.
He was badly frightened, confessed that
he had Eecn with Booth, and consented
to guide US back to CARROTS farm, where
Booth had stopped. We then started
back for CARROTS, and reached there in
the early morning. We surrounded the
place, ard I went up to the door and
knocked loudly upon it. In moment
old man Garrett appeared, in very light
attire, carrying candle. He told Inc
that the man had described had been
there, but that after the cavalry had
passed he had taken his crutch and hob
bed on to the woods. In the meantime
men had been hunting about the place,
and one of them called out to me that
he had a man in his corn-crib. went
to the crib and found it was Garrett's
son, who said he was there to watch the
men in the barn, fearing that they might
steal the horses l thus found that
Booth and Herold were in the barn.
Herold had returned from Bowling
Green to CARROTS. We surrounded the
barn, and Boston Corbctt was stationed
at place where there was hole in the
boards about two feet square. AS soon
| as wesurrounded the barn we heard men
moving about in the hay.
81 told Booth that knew it was he,
and We carried on a short conversation
before he was shot. He first asked:
"'Who are youa You may be my
friends
"On my answering he replied: L am
a cripple and alone. Give me q chance
for my life. Draw your men up at fifty
spaces, and I will come out and fight
you"
'Trcplied that 1 did not come there to
fight. 1 said Il came here to cap
ture you. have fifty men, and 1 propose
to do it,
''About this time he said: There is a
man here who wants to surrender awful
bad and with that the boy Herold came
out. AS Herold left, Booth made a move
ment as though to raise his carbine, and
Boston Corbett fired The ball struck
Booth lust behind his ear, in about the
! same place where he struck the Presl-
dent. The bullet lodged in the vertebrn
of his neck, and this part of his anatomy
was aftcrward cut out, and the bone,
with the ball in it, was kept in the Medi-
cal Museum at Washington. Just before
Corbett fired, the straw at the back OF
| the barn was lit by detective; as the
blaze leaped upward 1 rushed in and
seized Booth, throwing my arms around
his waist, under his uplifted arms, and
dragging him out OF the burning barn
We carried him to the porch of the Gar
rett farmhouse, and he died within
| few hours.